In This Together
by Rainbow Daydreamer
Summary: When it looks like her older brother Voltare has committed a crime, Ellanova the Ixi is adamant: he could never have done such a thing. But when Voltare disappears from home, searching for him will turn out to be the biggest adventure of her life.
1. Innocence and Chocolate

**In This Together**

* * *

A/N: No, I don't own Neopets. Ellanova, Voltare, Fiona and Ricky are all fictional. Any hyphens in pet names are supposed to be underscores. Reviews both good and bad are welcomed, as I may be trying this for the Neopian Times, if the editors don't think it's too dark. Also, this is/will be the longest Neopets story I've written. Yay.

* * *

**Part One**

* * *

_I stared up at the massive, delicately crafted globe, the newest edition to the vast collection of ornaments that filled the house. It was twice my height, even without its carefully polished hardwood platform, and I marvelled at it. A soft sound of pawsteps behind me let me know that someone else was here too; my big brother, Voltare, the most fabulous pet in the world. We looked at the painted object together._

_"What _is_ it?" I asked, hesitantly, my baby voice sounding out of place in the elegant, echoing room._

_Voltare smiled down at me. "It's what the world would look like, if you were an ENORMOUS space alien. Nice, isn't it?"_

_"Where's our house?" was my next question. My brother rested one dark, gentle, velvet-soft paw against one of the splodges of green, which I supposed were islands in the blue sea._

_"It's down there somewhere," he explained, "but it's too small to see."_

_Too small to see? I thought of the size of our house, many times taller than I was. "The world's so BIG," I shuddered. "It's scary."_

_"There's nothing to worry about, little sister," he told me, draping his paw around my shoulders. "You've got _me_. And we're in this together, don't you ever forget that."_

_He repeated the words as I clutched his paw tightly._

_"In this together."_

"Voltare? Vo-ol-_tare!_"

That was my owner, shouting down the hallway. I didn't take much notice of her; I had a letter to write, it wasn't long until I'd have to come downstairs for dinner, and in any case, it was my brother she was yelling for.

"Voltare-my-_neo!_ Where is that Kougra? I _told_ him to get back here for six NST! I've got bacon for dinner and it's going to burn!"

Sighing, I got up from my writing-desk and came downstairs. Fiona, her red hair ruffled and a cookery apron fastened around her waist, turned at the clatter of my hooves on the wooden steps. "Oh, hi, Novella. You haven't seen Voltare, have you?" I shook my head and went to check the letterbox. Sometimes my brother would send a quick note if he couldn't get back for dinner, but there was nothing there today but an advertisement for the Neopia Central Beauty Salon and a misdirected letter meant for the Acara two doors down. It looked rather likely that I would be getting Voltare's bacon.

I went back to my desk and to the letter I was writing to my penpal, a young Gelert named Ricky, who lived in Neopia Central with his sister. I had never seen the big city myself; before Voltare and I came to live with Fiona, we had lived in a house on the banks of Kiko Lake. I had been very young when we left that house, and I wasn't even sure I could find my way back to the lake. Voltare had travelled more than I had, but there were places that even he hadn't visited, like the Lost Desert and Terror Mountain. As for me, I let the city-wise Ricky be my guide.

_...I don't know, Ricky, if I told you that I'm going to Neoschool classes now. They're holding lessons in one of the old castle towers, five days a week. Voltare always walks me there, and I learn my easier lessons while he studies things like astronomy, advanced history and geography. One day I hope to learn those things, too._

_The teacher at Neoschool can never remember my name. She calls me Nieva, Minerva, Vinetta, Nykeva... she knows there's an N and a V in it, but that's about as much as she manages. I don't mind it much. Her best one was yesterday's: Savannah-my-neo. Don't know where _that_ one came from! If she'd only call me Ellanova, like Voltare does, I'm sure it would be easier._

_Well, I must sign off now. It's time for tea. Do write soon, I'm anxious to know how your classes are going. And whatever did happen with your sister and that angry Usul?_

_Talk to you soon,_

_Novella_

I stuck a five-Neopoint stamp on the envelope and wrote the address neatly: _Rickaira the Gelert, 189923 Kadoatery Street, Neopia Central. _Leaving it sealed on the sofa arm downstairs, I went out into Meridell to have one last look for Voltare before dinner.

A Bruce playing in the castle courtyard thought he remembered seeing a Darigan Kougra flying overhead, heading southwards. It sounded an odd thing for my brother to do, but I gazed down the southern path for a while, wondering where he was going. Maybe to the big city for some special item, like the smoothies and scarves he bought for me occasionally. Or perhaps he'd heard some report of a Neopet in distress and he just had to help, despite the fact that Fiona and dinner were waiting. My big brother was like that; always ready to help anybody who needed it. People got frightened sometimes because of his threatening appearance, but Voltare was the sweetest Kougra in the world.

I shrugged, turned around and headed back home. Fiona would be waiting for me.

"Novella, be a good girl and pass me down the cocoa," Fiona told me, stirring something in a bowl with such effort that her elbows were jammed out at either side. I jumped obediently onto a chair and reached the jar that stood on the top shelf of the cupboard.

"What're you making, Fiona?" I asked, carrying the cocoa jar across the kitchen in my mouth.

"Chocolate cake for Voltare," she answered, not stopping her ferocious beating of the mixture. "If he can't get home in time for dinner, I'm not going to stay up waiting to cook him something. I'll leave him some cake and go to bed."

True to her word, she took the cake from the oven and left it to cool on the rack before mounting the stairs. I followed her up, glad to get into my own comfy bed and rest my tired eyes. As I snuggled into the blanket, clutching my favourite Buzz Toy close to my heart, my final thought before sleeping was: _Where can Voltare be?_

I woke.

It was still dark, save for a beam of moonlight that was shining through the gap in my curtains. Surely it could only be about two o'clock in the morning. Why had I woken?

Then I heard pawsteps on the garden path, and I realised that it must have been the click of the gate that had roused me. It was Voltare, it had to be. He was back. Sitting up in bed, I peeked through the curtains out of the window, and saw to my relief the familiar shadow of a winged Kougra outside.

Not wanting to disturb Fiona, I tip-hooved down the stairs and opened the front door as quietly as I could. "Glad you're back, big brother," I whispered. "There's some cake for you in the kitchen."

He didn't say a word to me-- I assumed he was too tired-- but he seemed to enjoy the chocolate cake, which he wolfed down at the speed of a hungry Werelupe. I brushed his fur down as he ate; it was tangled and dusty, with leaves caught in it. Presumably he'd been rescuing some baby pet out in the forest, or helping someone's Kadoatie down from a tree.

When the cake had been reduced to crumbs, I coaxed Voltare into going to bed, making sure that we both got upstairs as quietly as possible. Fiona had had a very busy day and she obviously needed her rest. Once he was in bed, still too exhausted to speak, I crept back to my room. The Buzz toy was where I had left it, the clock ticking towards half-past-two. I was asleep before I could think about tonight any more.

He was gone by breakfast.

Fiona and I ate our toast and marmalade without comment, then she left me in the house while she walked to a friend's house. His Eyrie would be giving her a copy of the daily newspaper, newly flown in from the city on his morning run. That was how we tended to get our news; Fiona wasn't quite ready for the detached life enjoyed by other Meridell citizens, and she still liked to hear what was going on in the rest of the world.

When the knock on the door came, I thought it must be her. Instead, a fierce-looking Moehog dressed in red and yellow stood at the door, surrounded by tough, muscular pets, all of them stern and unfamiliar. Frightened, I backed away from them, wondering if a closed door would hold the strangers off until Fiona's return.

"Are you Fiona Skyler?" asked one of them, holding out a badge in his paw.

"No, she's my owner," I told him, feeling slightly less afraid. "I'm Novella-my-neo. Fiona will be back soon if you want to see her. Er-- who are you?"

"Madam, we're the Defenders of Neopia," the leading Neopet said briskly. "We'd like to speak to your owner."

"Wait here!" I gasped, and took to my heels.

Fiona was chatting to the Eyrie's owner, a tall boy with coffee-coloured hair, while sipping a mug of berry fizz. I dashed into the living-room, knocking over a houseplant and almost stepping on a wayward Petpet.

"Oh, Fiona!" I exclaimed, throwing myself at her. "The Defenders of Neopia want to talk to us! What could be wrong, Fi?"

My owner stood up, lifting me off the ground with a gentle calm that reassured me. "It's bound to be nothing," she said soothingly. "Maybe somebody's lost a Doglefox, or they might want to talk about that Cybunny that's been eating my prize rowzes." Carrying me, she walked unhurried back to the house.

When we got there, the Moehog in front caught Fiona's arm before she could go into the front room. Unlocking the door, she put me down. "Go inside," she said, "I'm sure I won't be a minute."

I went in, flopping onto the couch in exhaustion as her voice alternated with the Defenders', too faint for me to hear the words. My owner's pet Waterfish watched me idly from the glass bowl on the dresser.

Finally, she came. I jumped from the sofa to meet her, but she seemed to resist my hug of relief and welcome. Her eyes had lost their sparkle, and there was a worried look about her that I hadn't seen before.

"Novella," she asked me quietly, handing over the newspaper she'd carried under her arm, "had you seen this?"

I read the words:

_**Mystery Assailant Robs Magical Battle Shop, Neopia Central**_

_Shopkeeper Injured in Incident_

"No," I admitted. "What about it? There was a similar story a few weeks ago-- a Lenny, wasn't it?"

"There was," Fiona agreed. "But this story isn't about a Lenny, Novella. This one is about a Darigan Kougra, who attacked a shopkeeper last night and stole his stock. I'm sorry, but..."

Fiona's eyes were brimming with disbelieving tears as she spoke.

"Novella, the Kougra looked exactly like Voltare."


	2. Disbelieving Tears

**In This Together**

I don't own Neopets.

* * *

**Part 2

* * *

**

"Voltare?" I stared for a moment.

_No._

"Oh, come off it. They're just making wild guesses, Fiona!"

She didn't seem convinced. "Voltare _was _gone last night. And he matches the description exactly, even down to the scratch on his ear." Now she was sitting in her favourite armchair, clutching the arm-rests as though they would keep her safely tethered to the ground.

"Fi, get a clue. You _know_ he would never do a thing like that. If my brother ever _thought_ about doing so much as throwing snowballs at a Bruce, then I'm the Snowager's mother." I waved a hoof at the sketch of Voltare that Fiona had drawn a few days ago, to amuse herself while I was at Neoschool. "Even that scratch on his ear. He got that in the only fight he's ever been in, do you remember?"

We both remembered only too well. The scratch was the only souvenir remaining out of the dozens of cuts and bruises he'd suffered in his unexpected battle. It had been during the scuffle in the Ice Caves; climbing Terror Mountain to check on the ice-bound Taelia, he'd come across a young Grundo being menaced by a Snow Beast. Voltare being what he was-- kind, foolish, impulsive and never one to let someone get hurt-- he had had to intervene.

"I know," Fiona murmured, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. "I _know, _Novella. But I can't face talking to them again."

"Then _I will_!" I shouted and ran outside. The Defenders, a few doors away, were questioning a young Peophin. I grabbed the nearest pet, a sturdy Bruce, and began to babble in his ear, telling him everything I'd told Fiona. He had to believe me. He had to…

"Didn't he believe you?" asked Fiona as I came back in.

"Well..." I sat down on the rug by the fire. "He said that I'd got something of a case, but that it wasn't going to stop them watching out for Voltare. I'm not sure he even listened properly!" I was yelling now, making the little house echo with the sound of my words. "My big brother _is not a criminal_!"

The Defenders and their agents tried to be helpful. Fiona asked them if they'd considered all other possibilities. "It could've been someone impersonating Voltare!" I put in. "Or Voltare might've been hypnotised by... a dark faerie or something!" They listened politely, but it was clear that they had already made up their minds. Apparently, even the darkest of faeries could only take possession of a pet or human with that individual's consent-- and Voltare, we all knew, would never have submitted to control by any evil creature.

Eventually there was nothing to do but nod and tell them we were taking note of their ideas. I knew that my brother couldn't have done such a thing. And yet I could see all the evidence that he had.

_Dear Ricky,_

_Something truly awful has happened..._

I deliberately didn't stay home.

Running through the long grass towards the track road, I found my place and waited. The sunlight cast flickering shadows on my face as I sat watching the horizon, waiting for any sign of movement.

Eventually, just when I was on the verge of giving up, I saw the familiar shadow of a Kougra, flapping his wings as he flew nearer. Jumping to my hooves, I sprinted towards him.

"Voltare, oh, Voltare," I gasped, throwing myself against my brother's fur, clasping his paws. "You can't stay here. They're going to arrest you." But he seemed not to be listening. Brushing past me, he headed down the track in the direction of our house. I followed him, my heartbeat racing with worry.

To my intense relief, the Moehog and his minions had gone when we reached the house, my brother lazily flapping towards the door as I dashed after him, trying my best to keep up. Fiona was sitting in the back garden, contemplating her clasped hands and obviously in the depths of serious thought. We came in without bothering to disturb her.

I gave Voltare some of the chocolate milk I knew he loved. He lapped it thirstily, without a word to me, and his face changed to a genuine smile of pleasure. Then, to my surprise, he sprung. In one movement that reminded me of a hungry Lupe sighting a Chia, my brother leapt smoothly out of the window and was gone.

"Voltare! _Voltare!_"

I yelled his name until I was hoarse, but there was no reply.

---

_Ricky, it's worse than I thought._

_I've got today's newspapers in front of me, brought by the post Blumaroo this evening. **Darigan Kougra robs National Neopian. Darigan Kougra steals magical cauldron from Soup Faerie. Darigan Kougra terrorises Uni at Adoption Centre... **And you know what? They all have the same description. Voltare's. If the stories are to be believed, he's been on a crime spree worse than the Pant Devil's._

_I know he hasn't... at least, I think he hasn't... that is, I hope with all my heart he hasn't. Not my big brother._

_The authorities are everywhere now. Our house is under 24-hour watch. Fiona, too; for some reason they don't think I'm worth watching. People are already saying "Well, what do you expect of a _Darigan_ pet?" Ricky, what am I going to do?_

_Fiona's calling. What is it now?_

"Novella, someone's spotted Voltare coming towards Meridell," my owner said softly. "I'm going over there, to see if I can talk him into being interviewed. Maybe that way we can prove it isn't him, if we're lucky."

I followed her, locking the door behind me. Surely now we would sort this out, finally. Although it had only lasted a day's time, the whole series of events seemed to have been haunting me forever. My memories of carefree days with Voltare felt like a long-forgotten time.

With the Defenders hiding safely in the bushes, Fiona and I stood in the clearing near to Illusen's glade, watching with held breath. At last, we heard the beat of Kougra wings. Voltare was arriving.

"Voltare!" Fiona called, and I echoed her. My brother landed elegantly, his four paws brushing the soft grass, and strutted past the two of us as if he hadn't heard a thing.

"Where's he going?" I whispered, but the leading pet signalled for the two of us to go with him. We followed Voltare, tip-hoofing across the clearing, closer and closer to the grotto of the Earth Faerie herself.

Voltare stepped inside, brushing aside the beaded green curtain of grass-reeds that separated Illusen from the outside world.

A moment later we heard a sound that sent a cold shiver down my spine; the sound of a faerie screaming.

He tried to fly, but the Defenders of Neopia were on top of him before he could even take off. Illusen, her wings bruised and her forehead bleeding from a deep claw-slash, pulled herself into the open with an expression of fear. She wasn't screaming any more. The high, terrified, disbelieving voice that was echoing throughout the forest was... mine. I was trying to fight my way through the police officers, but I wasn't strong enough to break through a ring of powerful Battledomers. _Why, Voltare, why?_

"Novella, go home," Fiona said to me, as kindly as she could manage. "I'll sort this out."

I couldn't look at Voltare. I did as she said and bolted for home, trying to put as much distance as I could between myself and Illusen's glade. _Voltare, big brother, what have you done?_

It was raining. I heard the droplets beat against the roof tiles as I lay on my bed, waiting for the sound of Fiona's steps on the porch. Surely she would be home soon, with a sadder, wiser Kougra in tow. She had to come soon.

Perhaps Voltare would have pawcuffs put on him! I shuddered. Perhaps they would have repainted him so that he couldn't fly, or given him a muzzle to wear... I didn't care, I didn't care, I just wished that the two of them would be home _soon. _

At last, the blessed sound of human footsteps. At last, Fiona's key in the lock. I waited until she called up to me. "Novella? Are you all right?" There was something strange about her voice, something I didn't understand, but I came.

She poured a mug of snowberry tea for herself, then one for me. "Drink up, my darling..."

I sipped the hot drink and looked around. Voltare wasn't home yet. Perhaps he was still in the paws of those awful Defenders. Was this horrible day never going to end?

Fiona felt in the bag she always carried. "Here, Novella, dearest. I brought you this." It was a beautiful plushie, the absolute image of a rose-pink Poogle. I hugged it close.

"Fi, it's lovely." I turned to face her, and saw how tired and sad she looked. For the last few hours, occupied with my own selfish emotions, it hadn't even occurred to me how much of an ordeal Voltare's arrest must have been for her, too. "Love you, Fiona."

"I love you too, Novella," she answered, almost automatically.

"Fi?" I didn't want to get her ruffled, but I had to ask. "Do you think it's worth staying up till Voltare gets home? If he won't be back until morning, I can go to bed..."

I didn't expect her flow of tears. Sobbing as though she'd heard the saddest story in the world, she grabbed me and held me close.

"N-novella… I have to t-tell you something." Her shaking hands clutched me tightly."V-v-voltare isn't... isn't going to be coming home any more."

"What?" I screamed. Had the Neopian authorities jailed my brother for life?

"My little Novella..." Fiona was almost incomprehensible in her grief. "I did it for the best, you must see that, I didn't want to be b-banished from Neopia because what would happen to you?... So I went to Neopia Central with the Defenders. And I... I abandoned Voltare. He's not your brother any more."

* * *

Reviews welcome, as always. 


	3. Fiona, Dear Fiona

**In This Together**

**Part 3**

* * *

_Dear Fiona, my Fiona..._

My writing smudged and swirled on the page, erratic even before my teardrops fell on it. Try as I might, I couldn't conjure up the crisp, clear hand in which I normally wrote to Ricky. Just when I needed my writing skill most, it seemed to have deserted me.

I lifted my head to look around, worried that my owner might be near. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fiona's typewriter sitting on the dresser in her room, across the landing. That was the answer. Creeping out of my bedroom, I lifted the heavy machine and carried it carefully back to my writing-desk, where I set it down with a jangling thump. The keys hadn't been designed for someone with hooves, but I did my best, picking out one letter after another.

_Dearest Fiona,_

_I wouldn't normally write to you, but I have a few very important things to say and I can't face speaking them aloud, right in front of you. _

It was still raining. I tugged the window shut after a few drops landed on my ears, not wanting to be interrupted. A Beekadoodle was chirping on a tree outside, refusing to be put off by the weather. How could other creatures in Neopia be so happy? It seemed wrong, somehow. Voltare was gone, I was alone, and yet there was this bright, happy Petpet, singing as though he was defying the mood of the whole world. I sighed, and went back to the most difficult letter I had ever had to write-- worse than the note to Voltare to say that the Pant Devil had stolen his birthday present and I had nothing for him but a pawful of candy charms, worse than the message that the Neoschool teacher had made me send to Fi about the broken window, worse than the letter to my sister Tanja saying that we weren't coming back to our old home. All the Neopian writing-classes in the world couldn't help me through this.

_The first thing I need to say, dear Fiona, is that I'm sorry._

Another tear slid down my nose, catching amongst the cold keys of the typewriter. I wiped it away angrily and continued to type. One word, one letter at a time.

_I didn't mean to be so awful to you tonight, when I knew that you were terribly upset, Fiona. And really and truly, I take back all of the things that I said-- well, shouted, really. It was unfair of me to call you evil and unfeeling; I realise, now, that everything you did was done with my happiness in mind. The fact that those actions were a mistake doesn't change that, not one bit._

All my letters from Ricky I had collected, from their hiding places and shelves and boxes all over my room. They fitted quite neatly into my schoolbag, I'd noticed. Maybe I should've kept them all there in the first place, instead of leaving them anywhere I could think of at the time. From the day I had moved into Fiona's house, I had always been a hopelessly untidy Neopet, but I'd never thought before that there'd be a time when it would matter. Where was my book of proverbs, the one I'd got for Giving Day last year? Where was the box of toffees I'd found in my stocking? Where was my pawprint-patterned scarf? Cursing my lack of organisation, I scrabbled amongst my belongings in the hope of catching a glimpse of pink wool. The scarf was nowhere to be seen.

_I'm sorry I knocked over the tea things, Fiona. It was a horrible thing to do, even if I was in shock._

Shock? I mentally scolded myself for putting a pretty interpretation on the way I'd felt. Fiona deserved to know the truth, really. I'd been angry, angrier than ever before. If I closed my eyes, I could still feel it, burning deep within my mind.

_I hope that the jug can be mended._

I winced at the memory of the china shattering on the kitchen tiles, its breaking sound lost in my shrieking protests. Although I still felt the fire of anger running through my veins, my fury against Fiona had cooled, and I felt guilty that I had been so childish.

_I can't pretend it never happened, but I can tell you how upset I am about it. Will you forgive me?_

Tears splashed against the typewriter keys and I wiped them away, conscious that once I started crying I would find it impossible to stop. Clutching my Buzz toy-- the pink Poogle was probably still lying amongst the debris of the tea-things in the kitchen, where I had hurled it in disgust at Fiona's silly gesture-- I carried on typing, determined to finish what I had started.

_Please say you will, even though I won't know it. Because, dearest Fiona, I have another important thing to say to you in this letter._

_I have to say goodbye._

_You didn't realise, Fi, how many people and Neopets in this world will be desperate to get their hands on a beautiful Darigan Kougra as a pet, a friend, a brother. And one without an owner, one with the elegance and bearing we've been brought up with, will be in demand especially. Which means that Voltare will be taken to another Neohome, perhaps with little brothers and sisters, or Petpets. And what will happen if he attacks them, too? Suppose he is taken to live in Faerieland, and next thing we know he's pushed Fyora off her own tower? I don't know why Voltare is acting like he is at the moment, but he is, and we can't just bury our heads and pretend that nothing is wrong. _

_That's why I have to go. It's not enough to get Voltare out of our life. He needs to be stopped, somehow, sometime, or there will be catastrophe. Voltare always protected me from everything. Now it's my job to protect Neopia from him, however long I have to spend finding him._

My typing speed increased, afraid as I was of my owner's arrival. If she came up the stairs now, carrying a tray of tea and biscuits or my discarded Poogle toy, I would be lost, I knew I would. I'd leap into her arms, letting her hug me and wipe away my tears as if I was still her little girl, not the brave sister I was trying to be for Voltare's sake. And once that was done, I couldn't bear to leave her side. No, I had to finish this letter before she came!

_Fiona, I'm going after Voltare, wherever he is now. If I'm not back in a few months' time, I probably never will be. Please try not to miss me or worry about me too much if I don't come back; whatever I'm doing, I'll be with my big brother. Maybe you can get another pet, or a Petpet to take care of... I can _see_ your expression as you read those words. You'll probably think I'm being cruel. But I don't want you to be left in our Neohome all alone, with nothing but the fishtank for company. I'd hate to think you were lonely._

I picked up the last few of my toys and books from around the room, putting them in my schoolbag. _There_ was my scarf, hooked amongst some wooden toys; I scooped it up too, knowing vaguely that Neopian weather could be cold and damp at times. The toys I would leave behind, save for my one Buzz doll; there wasn't room for them. I fastened the catch on the satchel. Now all there was to do was finish the letter.

_Don't forget about me, though, Fiona. Because hopefully someday I'll see you again, when I come home with a Darigan Kougra standing at my side. _

And I signed it. Pressing my ink-smudged hoof against the page, I left a perfect night-black print next to my name. Then, placing the letter gently on my bed, I made my way carefully down the stairs.

Fiona was nowhere to be seen, and for a moment I panicked. Then I heard her voice, crying softly behind the bathroom door. A feeling of sadness stabbed me through the heart for a second, but I had to stay calm. The coast was clear, and this was my moment. Snatching the strap of the satchel in my mouth, I ran down the hall and out of the front door, slamming it shut with my back hoof. Scattering gravel and pebbles with every step, I made it down the garden walk and out into Meridell, my beautiful home country, the one I had to leave.

All the familiar landmarks stood around me as I headed down the track road, past the towering castle and out in the direction of Neopia Central. Would I ever see them again? Here I was, setting my course for a city which seemed unimaginably far for me, a little Neopet who'd never seen it except in letters, in Times stories, in the descriptions of others. But the adoption centre was there, that I did know; and that was where Fiona had taken Voltare.

As my flustered galloping run slowed to a walk, I kept my eyes fixed on the road ahead. After all, when you're leaving home-- maybe forever-- the one thing you must never do is look back.

_I'll always love you,_

_Novella-my-neo_


	4. Little Runaway

**In This Together:**

**Part 4**

Running away from home, alone. It's all very well in stories, isn't it? To me it had always seemed something of a dramatic, romantic thing to do, even if it was one that I'd never seriously consider doing on my own. Now I was in the middle of the reality, with aching hooves, tears in my eyes, and being rained on and buffeted by gusts of wind after only a few hours away from the home I'd loved.

"I was right all along about one thing, though," I sighed as I made my way along the track road. "I was not cut out to be an adventurer. Why couldn't this have been the other way around?" I was sure that, if I had got into some spot of trouble far from home, Voltare would've gone after me without a moment's hesitation and rescued me-- fabulously, as ever-- before Fiona had even noticed he was gone. Well, so much for that. Voltare _wasn't_ going to help me out, and I had to do this myself as best I could.

I could see buildings on the horizon as I walked. Looking over the top of the hill I'd just climbed, I gasped aloud; there were more houses, shops and strange-shaped buildings than I'd ever seen in my life. This had to be the massive capital city I'd heard so much about: Neopia Central.

I made my way into town through one of the enormous wallgates. A Kyrii was playing the guitar on the steps of a shop, and although I had almost no Neopoints, I threw a toffee into his hat. He grinned as I walked on.

The crowds! I couldn't believe there could be so many pets and people in one city. A Pteri bumped into me, then fluttered past without even bothering to apologise. It was still raining, and I wondered if one of the glittering, enormous shops around me would sell me an umbrella, or a mackintosh, if I promised them something in return. Probably not; the shopkeepers didn't look the sort to barter.

I didn't know where the Adoption Centre could be. I'd read stories about it in the _Times_-- who hadn't?-- but none of them gave any hints as to its exact location. Uncertain, I carried on searching as the happier citizens of Neopia Central began to shut up shops, pulling down blinds, picking up cases and hurrying home for their tea.

As I stood in the market square considering my next move, a uniformed Korbat put one wing on my shoulder. I jumped.

"Young lady, where are you going?" he snapped.

What could I say? "I know where I'm going, thanks," I told him, tossing my ears back carelessly, like someone who'd known Neopia Central all her life. "I don't need any help."

"Hmmm, okay," he nodded. "I thought you must be lost, a little girl like you out on her own. Run along now." He paused. "You know, you have quite an unusual accent. Where do you come from?"

"Meridell," I admitted. It was the truth.

"That's a _long_ way for such a small Neopet," he marvelled. I was beginning to be fed up of the constant remarks about my height, but he meant well, so I kept quiet. "You'd better get going if you want to be home before nightfall."

Which is where I made a big mistake.

"I'm not going home!" I told him. "I've run away."

His eyes widened, and for a minute he looked more sad and afraid than stern. "Oh, little one," he said. "You're _ownerless!_ I can't... I'm sorry, my dear, but you'll have to come with me."

I followed him. What else could I do? He had his wing firmly clasped around my shoulders, and now he was steering me through the streets in the direction of... a tall building, at least fifteen storeys high, with metal bars at the windows. Was it my imagination, or was someone looking mournfully out of that top window, resting two blue paws on the ledge?

"Wh-where are you taking me?" I stammered, suddenly scared.

"I'm sorry," he said again. Something in the way he said it reminded me of Fiona, poor Fiona, the night she'd had to tell me Voltare was gone. "It's the law here in Neopia Central. You're not old enough to take care of yourself, especially not in a big city like this. You have to be taken to the Adoption Centre for your own protection before night falls. We don't want you getting bitten by Count Von Roo, my love, or attacked by thieves."

The Adoption Centre. How ironic; I was going to be a prisoner in the very place I'd tried so hard to find. Visions crossed my mind of my former owner who had never deserved me at all, never mind Voltare. My brother had taken me away from that home, carrying me in the shelter of his beautiful wings until we found Fiona and sanctuary. But supposing that that girl were here, looking for a new pet! My heart began to race. _No_! I would never be locked up there!

Kicking my back hoof high into the air, I struggled out of the Korbat's grip. He let out a startled cry, but I had already gone, sprinting down the street and splashing water everywhere as my hooves went into puddles. I had to run, it didn't matter where, just to get away.

A whistle blew. The flustered Korbat was calling in reinforcements. Knowing that he was no stranger to this town, that it was probably a useless chase, I ducked round corners and skittered across slippery roads. He was gaining, I was sure of it.

Suddenly he shouted. I risked a look over my shoulder, and saw that a Miamouse had run across his path, jumping playfully and nipping at his dangling feet. He flapped and yelled in panic, unable to see what it was. Thanking Fyora for the diversion, I ran as fast as I could to make the most of the few extra seconds the Petpet had bought me.

Then I saw the street sign on the wall, high above my head. It was grubby and faded, but it shone on me like a Faerie's blessing as the words leapt out to me.

_**Kadoatery Street**_

I bolted down the long avenue, watching the house numbers as I sped past them. Suddenly the one I was looking for passed me. Pulling out of my dash so fast that my hooves screeched on the cobbles, I hammered on the door.

_Please be in. Please be in. Please be--_

The Miamouse, which had followed me, crashed against my side at the same time as a yellow paw pushed the door open. I grabbed the Petpet, figuring I owed it a favour. Then I shot through the door and closed it behind me.

"Oh, my word," breathed the Baby Gelert who'd opened the door. "Who in Neopia are you?"

"Are you." I couldn't breathe deeply enough. "Rickaira?" He nodded. "I'm... Novella..."

My penpal just stared.

The house was cosy, filled with toys and books, soft carpets and huge, welcoming armchairs. Ricky passed me a mug of hot cocoa. "I'm keeping house," he told me as he scrabbled for a spoon. "Sis is out of town. Watching some Lenny in a Beauty Contest."

"Thought she wasn't into them," I responded, sipping the beautiful warmth of the cocoa.

"No, not normally. She won't explain," he said with a shrug, handing down a chocolate biscuit. One thing I'd known before I got here was that Ricky and his sister were both crazy for chocolate.

The Miamouse lay curled up by the fire, drying out her fluffy green fur. I was basking in the glow myself, enjoying the feeling of being warm and dry once more. Somehow, I'd managed to convince Ricky that I _was _his faraway penfriend and that I had a reason for being here, cold, wet and seeking shelter.

As I drank, Ricky asked me about my quest. He knew I'd never been to the city before, and his eyes were wide as I told him about Voltare, Fiona and my brush with the law.

"Wow," he said. "Novella, you're almost as brave as my Sis." Coming from Ricky, there was no higher praise. He idolised his beautiful, faerie-winged sister more than any pet or human in the world. Then again, he had never met Voltare.

"I can walk you down to the Adoption Centre in the morning," he offered. "They know me here, and there'll be no problem with us visiting the place. We can find your brother there, or if he isn't there any more, we can find out who's picked him up."

It was such a simple, wonderful solution that I could have cried with relief.

The next morning came sooner than I'd expected, and Ricky put on his smart green collar to go out into the city. I washed my muddy fur and tried my best to groom myself; for a rich and obviously quite pampered Gelert, Ricky had surprisingly few grooming items. A swift search of the house turned up a glittery brush, some two-in-one shampoo and a bar of sweetly scented soap-- he was sure that there was a comb somewhere, but he wasn't going to waste valuable time looking for it. He and his sister didn't care much for grooming beyond what was necessary for looking smart.

We walked down the main street together, Ricky in the lead. In the warm light of the morning the Adoption Centre didn't look so frightening, and the street officials didn't look twice at a smart, well-brushed White Ixi who obviously knew where she was going.

"Good morning," I said to the pink Uni who stood, her desk covered in papers and her front hooves resting on the table, in the front room of the Centre. "I'm here to enquire about a pet. A Kougra named Voltare-my-neo?" She looked blank. I suppose that when pets are coming and going every day under your nose, you can't remember them all. "He arrived in the last couple of days? A Darigan Kougra with a nick out of his right ear?"

"Oh, _that_ one!" she interrupted with a visible shudder. "Yes, I remember now. He came in and tried to knock poor Dr. Death into the middle of next week. Some of the staff had to restrain him."

"He's my _brother,_" I told her pointedly, "and I want to take him home. Where is he?"

She checked records for a while before looking up in surprise.

"I don't remember giving him out to anyone," she explained, "but he isn't here. Someone must've adopted him."

Ricky pulled at something on a high shelf and got down the enchanted book that held the Faerie Census. "All pets in Neopia are in here," he told me, flicking it open. "You just need to speak the name of the pet you want to see."

"Voltare-my-neo," I said carefully.

The book shimmered for a moment, then:

_Sorry, no such Neopet exists._

In a place well used to the howling of lonely Neopets, my scream shook the building and brought staff running to see what was going on.

I walked back to Ricky's house in a kind of nightmare daze. I didn't even see where I was going, who was passing me. He let me in without a word and left me sitting in the armchair while he got me a drink. Tears spilled from my eyes as I contemplated my own clasped hooves. Voltare-- somehow-- was gone, vanished from the face of Neopia. And I had no idea how to get him back.

When someone began to bang at the door, I wondered distantly who had found me. Ricky went to open it, then startled me by bounding through the house calling my name a moment later. "Novella! _Novella!_"

There was an Acara standing at the door, dressed in the uniform of the Neopian Adoption Centre. "I came as fast as I could," he panted. "I heard you talking, and then I saw this..."

It was a copy of the _Neopian Daily News._ The paper was crumpled, as if it had been passed around several staff members before reaching the young Acara at the door, but the headline was still clearly visible.

_**Darigan Kougra Robs Defence Magic Shop**_

"Ricky," I said, looking up with a faint smile, "I think the Great Voltare Hunt is back on."


	5. Wild Woods

**In This Together:**

**Part 5**

Ricky looked pleased. The Acara kid looked delighted. Even the Miamouse on the rug squeaked and jiggled about excitedly.

"Where does it say the Kougra went after the incident? Where?" I pressed, grabbing at the front page. "Stole thousands of NP worth of items... blah, blah, blah, and so on... ah, here we go!" I stabbed a hoof at the paragraph. "The suspect was seen heading in the direction of..." I looked up, suddenly less cheerful. "...The Haunted Woods."

The Acara visibly blanched. "The Haunted Woods? My owner told me never to go out there…"

Ricky shivered, but tried not to show it; he forced his face into a smile as I watched. "Well, if you're intent on following him there, we'd better make some preparations... You get my Battledome weapons from the box in the attic, Novella. I'll have to look out my warm coat."

"Ricky?" I asked gently. "You sound as if you're planning to come with me." As he nodded, I shook my head in turn. "No, Ricks. You have to keep house for your Sis. Remember?"

He looked up defiantly. "I'm coming, Novella. I know my Sis wouldn't let you go out into the Haunted Woods all on your own."

_And what would she do if I took you with me and something happened to you? _

"I'm not going on my own, Ricky," I replied aloud. "I'm taking this Petpet with me." I scooped the Miamouse up and sat it on my back, hearing it squeak in delight. "She got me out of one scrape, who's to say she won't do it again?"

Picking up my belongings as quickly as I could, I had a sense of déjà vu as I ran from the house, slamming the door before Ricky could follow me. Once again, I was running away, to save my brother, to avoid hurting others, and once again it was the most painful thing I could have done. The little Miamouse clung tightly as I bolted along the street, holding my satchel in my mouth.

"Hey! Stop!"

Dreading what I might see, I turned. But this was no Neopian official. Instead, the Acara stood there, holding out a warm fur-trimmed jacket and a pair of new boots. "That Gelert sent me to give these to you," he gasped, trying to get his breath back. "Says they're his sister's. You want them?"

I took the coat, wrapping it around myself and the Miamouse, and pulled on the white boots. "Tell him thanks." A thought occurred to me. "Hey, kid? What's your owner's name?" I shouted as he began to run off.

"Rachel," he called back, already almost out of earshot.

"Rachel," I repeated, looking down at the Petpet, who twitched her ears attractively. "Rachel? Would you like that?"

The Miamouse squeaked in what seemed to be agreement. I smiled and picked her up, placing her gently in my satchel. "Your name is Rachel, then, my love," I told her. Then, hanging the strap around my shoulders, I set off.

...---...

_I must be brave._

As I headed west, the paved road gradually became a gravel pathway, then a simple track as the grass grew longer, the trees turning from sheltering oaks to tall, crooked trunks where Petpets snickered and snarled. Clearly, I thought with a mocking smile, I was on the right path.

A Halloween-painted Shoyru, her pretty red costume standing out amongst the dark, leafy bushes, was sitting picking purple-hued flowers from the withered grass. "Excuse me?" I asked her, determined not to let my voice tremble. "Have you seen a Darigan Kougra…?"

She looked at me suspiciously. "What if I have? What's it to you?"

"I'm looking for him. I'm his sister," I said without thinking. At once, the Shoyru let out a squeal of terror.

"Get _away_ from me!" she screamed, flapping into the air and trying to put as much distance between us as she could. I saw the expression of panic on her face as she flew away, not even stopping to pick up her carefully-picked flowers. Absently, I lifted one and tucked it behind my ear.

_She ran away when she heard I was the sister to a Darigan Kougra… she was scared…_

_That can only mean one thing. Voltare's been here, and he hasn't been his usual self, either. What have you done this time, big brother?_

I made my way into the forest. Looking up into the crimson sky, I saw it wouldn't be long before night fell. _Just my luck, to wander into the Haunted Woods at night. What on Neopia am I thinking?_

Night-dwelling Petpets took off from the darkening trees, and the cold wind made me glad of the coat I'd been given. Inwardly, I thanked Ricky and his sister. Rachel hopped into the hood of the coat and clung on as I walked.

Something caught my hoof as I lifted it. I tried to scream, but my Miamouse jumped onto my chest, holding my mouth jammed shut as I managed to pull free of the Spyder web that had tangled itself around my ankle. _Stupid Ixi, _I scolded myself. _Don't go screaming out loud._

I remembered the time I'd got lost in a hedge maze that I had run into. I must only have been quite small. The branches and leaves around me had seemed never-ending, and I'd begun to cry. Now I closed my eyes for a moment, listening to the wind wailing in the trees, and imagined the touch of that soft fur on mine as my big brother picked me up, anxious love showing in his dark eyes, ready to carry me home…

Rachel's squeak brought me back to reality. Her green ears twitching back and forth, she stared at me wide-eyed and then dived into my coat, quivering like a leaf in the breeze.

"Whoa. What's spooked you, little Petpet?" I stroked her head gently, trying to calm her down. "There now. Don't be afraid. There's nothing to…"

Somewhere near me, a branch on the forest floor cracked.

"…be scared of," I finished, taking a single step backwards. "Shhh, Rachel, shhh."

Something was… wrong. I could sense it. Where I had heard soft sounds before, rustling leaves and the quiet calls of Petpets around me, now the clearing seemed almost too silent.

A dark shape detached itself from the shadows, padding towards me on furry paws. I couldn't see what it was in this half-light, but Rachel trembled.

"Voltare?" I whispered.

The figure turned and sprang.

---...---

Before the strike, I had a glimpse of fangs, sharper and larger than my brother's, and glowing green eyes. This was no Darigan Kougra, elegant and graceful, but a ferocious canine figure, pushing me over in a moment. The next minute, the Werelupe had pinned me to the ground with his paws. Glancing desperately to my left and right, I saw more clawed shadows approaching.

Rachel's heartbeat was racing. The little Miamouse was terrified, and I felt guilty for having got her into such trouble after she saved me in Neopia Central. For all I knew, she could be someone's beloved petpet, run away from home herself. Some little Neopet might be crying for her right now. I tensed. No matter what happened next, I had to protect Rachel.

My hoof kicked out at the lead Lupe's enormous paw. He pulled away for a moment, and I pulled off my coat with Rachel still clinging to it, throwing the warm jacket over a tree branch as the Werelupe lunged for me again. Rachel seemed to know to stay silent. She might be safe up there— just might—

There was no escape for me as there had been for Rachel. I shut my eyes, trying not to see the ferocious Lupes around me, and gasped as a claw scratched against my cheek. I was too breathless to call for help, and after all, who would dare face down this danger for a little white Ixi?

My life flashed in front of my closed eyes. My old owner. Running away from home for the very first time, under Voltare's watchful eyes, when the place I'd left behind hadn't been my home at all, and the owner I'd deserted nothing like Fiona. Oh, Fiona… Ricky… _Voltare…_

The world was drifting away from me. Even the clawmarks on my fur were beginning to lose their pain. But as I slipped into darkness, I heard an enormous roar, not a Werelupe's snarl. The voice of a Kougra, enraged.

"V…"

I couldn't even say the word before falling into the darkness of a dream.


	6. Bats and Boots

**In This Together:**

**Part Six**

_It's Giving Day._

_Fiona is standing in the hallway with a box of decorations for the tree. In no time they're all pulled out of the box, tinsel and baubles glittering all over the living-room, silver stars scattered on the rug. Ricky's there, too, with his beautiful faerie Sis, sorting through glass snowflakes and striped candy canes. A small Miamouse is watching curiously from beneath the dark green branches, sniffing the good scents of candles and cinnamon in the air. She looks oddly familiar._

"_Novella, will you put the star on top of the tree?" Fiona calls. I jump up and run to pick up the enormous golden star, and reach up to put it in place. But the tree is too high. I can't reach._

"_Oh, no!" Ricky looks distraught. "Giving Day'll be spoilt if Novella can't put the star on the tree."_

"_It's OK, Ellanova." Voltare steps out of the kitchen and lifts me up onto his shoulders. "We can do it together, right? Now you reach up there."_

_I hold the star out, trembling with excitement and apprehension. Just before I can place it, the fragile treasure falls from my outstretched hoof. Ricky gasps from somewhere far, far below me as I watch it fall. It seems a million years before it hits the floor, shattering into a thousand sparkling pieces._

"_Novella!" Ricky's Sis screams in horror. "Novella, how could you? You've ruined everything!"_

_One by one, the ornaments fall from the tree. The Miamouse cowers in terror as glass smashes around her. The tree itself is losing its needles, becoming a dark, twisted plant with spiky branches. Pulling myself away from the sight, I cling to Voltare for support. Fiona is yelling at me, and she is no longer Fiona, but my old owner, the one who created me, dressed in Fiona's clothes and looking at me with hatred in her eyes. As I stand frozen to my place in fear, Voltare's claws sink into my fur and I lose my footing. I'm falling, falling a million miles to Neopia, into a place where I never wanted to be. I'm falling…_

A voice floated into my mind, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Jonny, fetch me another mugful of that snowberry tea. And step on it!"

"I'm not your waiter, Minette. Get your own drink."

"It's not for _me,_ you idiot." The voice called Minette seemed to be a girl, frustrated and annoyed, but with a tone of gentleness beneath the exasperation. "It's for Bootsie up here. Call me an optimist, but I swear she's looking better since we gave her the last lot."

"Yeah, sure, when that little furball of hers drank most of it. OK, OK, I'm going already."

"Minette?" A third voice called from further away. "Should I come up and fix your leg again? Is it OK?"

"Sure, my leg's all right," the first voice sighed. "Now if you can deal with this pain in the neck called Jonny, that would be a help, Tam."

I opened my eyes.

A young Halloween Ixi was looking down at me, a large white mug held in her front hooves. "Wha--?" she exclaimed. "You're awake! Tam! Jonny! She's awake!"

"Where in Neopia am I?" I stared at the ceiling blankly. "What… no, wait… what happened to the Werelupes? Am I dead?"

The Ixi's laughter seemed to light up the whole room. "What, you? No, you're not dead, Bootsie. You're as live as the rest of us, and we're the least dead Neopets in the whole of the Haunted Woods, y'might say. You can call me Minette."

"I'm alive." I pushed the blanket off my shoulders, looking around. Dark branches were scratching against the window opposite my bed, but the house looked oddly out of place in the Haunted Woods: though the bedside lamp was decorated with bats, it cast a warm glow across what was really quite a pretty room. "Where am I? And my name's Novella, not Bootsie…"

"Shhh." My new companion put one hoof to her lips in an exaggerated gesture. "You never know who could be trying to find you out here. Better if they don't know where you are, right? We called you Bootsie when we found ya, 'cos of your snazzy new boots…"

"Find me?" I was confused. "Who'd be looking for me?"

"Well, I guessed you must be running away from something," she shrugged. "Why else would you run off into the Haunted Woods on your own?"

"Nobody's looking for me," I explained. "I… I was looking for somebody."

Minette took me down into the kitchen, letting me lean on her as I limped down the stairs. My left hind leg hurt whenever I took a step, but I could walk. Minette seemed to understand: she was limping a little, too. Downstairs, a Blumaroo and a Lenny were waiting in the kitchen, the Lenny holding a teacup. "Oh, hey, Bootsie. Here, have some of this."

It was snowberry tea, the sort that Fiona drank whenever she was upset or frightened. As I drank it, a tear slipped down my cheek, stinging my fur. "Don't you like it?" the Lenny asked anxiously. "You seemed to get better quick when we gave you some, and it did wonders for your pet furball, too…"

"Furball?"

"Oh! I forgot!" Minette exclaimed. "Tam, let her in."

The next moment, a small green blur had flung itself around the corner and straight into my arms. Rachel held onto me as if she never wanted to let go again.

"Rachel! Oh, Rachel." I hugged the tiny Petpet. "How did you get here?"

"She just followed us home," the Blumaroo shrugged. "So how're you feeling, Bootsie?"

"I'm better…" Suddenly I couldn't stop myself from crying any longer. "I got lost in the woods… I couldn't find Voltare! He could be anywhere by now…"

"Who's Voltare, sweetie?" Minette set a plate of biscuits in front of me, and I began to tell the whole story.

When I had finished, the Halloween Ixi looked at me curiously. "We didn't tell you how we found you, did we?" I shook my head.

Minette, Jonny and Tam had been returning from a trip to the Deserted Fairground when they'd heard howling and roaring from a nearby clearing. Jonny, the Blumaroo, had been all for running home at once, but Minette had insisted on investigating. "She's crazy like that," Jonny shrugged. "No offence."

On entering the clearing, they'd seen a frightened Werelupe bolt past them, scratching Minette's leg as he ran. Another lay unconscious on the grass, his fur torn. Minette had pushed her way through the undergrowth to see a fearsome Darigan Kougra standing at the centre of the clearing, fighting off half a dozen Lupes with his claws and teeth. When the last of them had been knocked out or had fled in terror, the Kougra had darted out of the clearing and disappeared into the distance. Climbing out of the bushes, Minette and her siblings had found me, lying on the grass like some child's abandoned toy.

"So we brought you here," she shrugged, as if it had been nothing at all.

Standing up carefully, I put my foreleg gratefully around her shoulders. "Thank you… thank you so much. But I have to go."

"Go where?" Jonny spat out his cocoa. "You're not getting yourself almost killed again, idiot Bootsie."

"You said a Darigan Kougra," I insisted. "I need to find where he went, and follow him. A fierce Darigan Kougra that defended me for some reason… that could only be my Voltare. My big brother is still out there." I picked Rachel up from the table.

"Wait." Minette stood in the doorway. "I know you have to go, Novella dear, but you're not to go out alone. There'll be no running away from this house."

"Minette…" I clung to Rachel. "I don't want you getting in trouble for my sake. You should stay here. I just need a map, or something to help me find my way…"

The Ixi and Lenny exchanged glances.

"Lady Luck," Tam murmured.

Minette nodded. "If you won't take one of us with you, Bootsie, will you at least let us find you a reliable guide?"

..--..

We approached the Deserted Fairground as night was beginning to fall. On my back, I carried my tattered satchel, Rachel riding in one of the pockets. Minette stayed close to my side, leaning on Tam's wing.

At the little wooden booth a short distance from the gates, Jonny banged on the shutter with his paws. "Ladorna! Ladornaaah! Lady Luck, are you in there?"

"We're closed!" shouted a voice from inside the booth. "Come back in two hours."

"Ladorna? It's Jonny." He continued to hammer on the shutter.

"And it's Jonny who can't give a girl a break when she's having her evening catnap?" A tall Blue Aisha in a headscarf appeared at the window, pushing up the shutter with her paws. "And what is it you'd be wanting this time, Jonny the menace? You tell me you're after another of my boxes of chocolate and lime drops and I swear I'll chase you all the way home."

"No, it's not chocolate drops we're after, Lady Luck," put in my companion. "Although Jonny might say different."

"Minette! Minette Taveta." The Aisha dropped the shutter and came hurrying round to the front of the booth. She threw her paws around Minette, her long purple hair brushing against my ears as she swung her friend round. "And to what might I be owing this unexpected visit?"

"Ladorna, I'd like you to meet Bootsie." Minette pushed me forward. "Bootsie, this is my old friend Ladorna, or Lady Luck as we like to call her. She knows the Haunted Woods like the back of her own paw. If your brother is still in the neighbourhood, rest assured, she's your best chance of finding him."

"Looking for your brother, is it?" Ladorna bustled around the booth again, shelving toy guns and throwing a box of gummy sweets into Jonny's expectant grasp. "Well, you won't find me saying I'm not due for a few days' vacation. Give me an hour that I can pack, and I'll be set to go."


	7. Lucky

**In This Together:**

**Part Seven**

* * *

The cork gun gallery disappeared out of sight as Ladorna and I walked out into the main village area of the Haunted Woods. "Nothing'll be attacking you here, Bootsie my dear," she reassured me. "The folk here are all very civilised and nice."

"Evening, Lady Luck!" called a Cybunny, his red and white head peering menacingly, if short-sightedly, over a shop stall. Above him, glowing orange lanterns hung from the lowest branches of the trees, lending their light to the crowded town.

"See what I mean?" she smiled, waving a paw at the petpet salesbunny. "No fierce Werelupes and the like here."

"I… I guess," I nodded. "But you know, there's always stories. Like that one Fiona told me once about the Blumaroo and his pals who came ghosting to an old lady's house on Darkest Night, the last night of Collecting, and were never seen again…"

My Aisha companion turned to me in interest, an odd smile on her face. "You don't tell me? Where did your Fiona get to be hearing that story, Bootsie?"

"It was in the encyclopaedia," I told her. To my surprise, Ladorna threw back her head and began laughing riotously.

"It was so? Oh, there's nothing for it. I'll have to tell Minette." She sank down onto a tree stump, doubled up with her giggles. "She and her brothers made the whole thing up, years ago. Don't the species sound familiar? A Halloween Ixi, a Blumaroo and a Lenny? They'll kill themselves with laughing when they get to hear."

I laughed too. Somehow, at Ladorna's side, the real and present dangers of the Haunted Woods seemed less frightening too.

...---...

We asked everywhere about sightings of a Darigan Kougra. Finally, and in the unlikeliest of places, we found an answer.

"Kougra? Oh, be sure I've seen one," the old Zafara snapped, slamming her mixing ladle against the side of her cauldron with an enormous _clang. _"He was here a few hours back. Seized some of my magical equipment, ate all of the Gummy Rats I was saving for my Meowclops without so much as a word, and jumped right out through the window. I tried to zap him with a quick Charm of Kougra Sparking, but the daft blighter was too fast for me to hit."

"Thanks, Edna," Ladorna said politely. "Are you wanting help to sweep up the glass?"

"Don't be impudent, young kit," Edna snarled. "I can do it perfectly well myself, thanks. Now get gone before I turn you into Mortogs both."

"No, wait," I put in, trying to fight the image of Voltare's fur torn by broken glass. "Where did the Kougra go after he… jumped out of the window?"

The old witch pointed out a direction, and Ladorna nodded, guiding me carefully down the spiral stairs.

"This track leads out into the forest," she told me. "Stick close to me and whisper if you see anything."

...---...

We carried on walking for hours. Rachel, tucked into my satchel, fell asleep as the bag rocked gently from side to side. From time to time, a sudden noise would make Ladorna start and brandish the magical wand she'd brought with her; but it would always be just a fellow-traveller, stepping apologetically past us, or a lone Petpet scuffling in the bushes.

"Honey, it's dark as can be now," my companion said gently. "We should stop and sleep. Your brother surely can't be going much further. The land to the west of here is almost uncrossable."

"No…" I wanted to keep going, but Ladorna was already spreading out the blanket rug she'd brought in the shade of a large tree. "Oh, OK. But as soon as morning comes, we're following Voltare again."

It didn't rain here often, Ladorna assured me. I lay down among the blankets with just Ricky's coat to keep me warm, staring at the dark sky above my head, as she lay beside me breathing softly in her sleep.

_Voltare, are you out there? Are you there at all? Is the big brother who told me he'd always be at my side still there, or… is someone else?_

I didn't remember falling asleep, until suddenly I wasn't asleep any longer. Ladorna's yell woke me, and I jumped to my hooves with a start. "What is it? What is it?"

A huge, dark paw swept round past my friend's face, scratching her cheek as it snatched the wand from her grip. The fierce form of a winged Kougra stood in front of us for a moment, holding the wand in his mouth as he panted for breath.

Unable to say a word, I looked up at him, but he couldn't see me in the shadows.

A shiver ran through my whole body as I looked into his face. I tried to speak his name, but the word caught in my throat.

That face was not my brother's. I saw what I'd been seeking, all the signs—his torn ear, the mark of a Werelupe's claws on his cheek—but something else was missing. There was no love, no affection in those dark eyes. All I could see was a deep blackness, like the clouds before a storm.

Tensing for a moment, he leapt over Ladorna's head and was gone, disappearing into the thicket.

"V-V-" I gulped hard, snatching my satchel from the ground. _Come on, Ellanova._ "It's him, Ladorna! C'mon!"

"I can't," she said, looking at me in panic. "He hurt my footpaw when he attacked us. I can walk for sure, Bootsie, but I can't run."

I stood for a moment, staring at the broken thicket where Voltare had disappeared and at Ladorna's bleeding paw. "What is there that way?" I asked.

"Nothing much that I'd be thinking…" She shrugged. "A few abandoned caves, some wild Petpets as may be. Nothing he'd be setting off in such a tearing hurry to find."

"Come on, then, walk," I managed, against my will. "As fast as you can, Ladorna. We'll find him." _I hope._

_...---... _

The bushes scratched at our ankles as we walked. Rachel, riding on my head now, watched silently as I picked my way through thorns and creepers. At least there was no problem in tracing Voltare's pawsteps now: it was impossible not to see the crushed branches and ragged bark where he had cut a path.

Ladorna's limp was worsening, but she carried on along the improvised track, keeping a lookout for any unexpected dangers. Suddenly, she tensed. "Bootsie. Get down."

I turned to see what she had spotted. A small glow of purple light was hovering towards us, looking rather like an oddly-coloured Lightmite. I looked at it curiously. "What's that, Ladorna?"

"I don't know. But stay still."

The little point of light seemed uninterested in me, however, as it floated past our heads and towards a large cliff-face a short distance away. As we watched, it was followed by more, all travelling in the same direction. They weren't insects, it seemed, but they moved like them, drifting in small clouds along the track.

"Whoa," Ladorna breathed, reaching out a paw. At once, she pulled it back again in alarm. "That _hurt_!"

Another purple light earthed itself on my ear, sending a cold shock through my body. More and more were joining it, as if they were being pulled towards the cliff face. Ladorna, taller than me and more in their path, winced as more stung her, but I was only half aware of the discomfort. In the distance, faint but unmistakeable, I heard something I had not expected: a fierce, full roar.

The roar of a fully-grown Kougra, angry and in pain.

I don't remember ever consciously thinking about what to do. I began to run, closing my eyes against the stinging of the moving lights that surrounded me now, a cloud of bright dots swarming like insects, paying no attention to me as they flew towards their destination. Rachel clung to my ears, screaming in terror.

Looking back for a moment, I saw Ladorna struggling to keep up with me. "Is it… is it him?" she gasped, trying to bat away the lights with her paw. I nodded, and she managed to crawl forward a few steps, on her paws and knees.

I had to keep going. I knew I did. But she was getting hurt, and I was responsible. For a moment, I hesitated. Then, I heard a voice from somewhere above us.

"There they are! Left, you daft Lenny, left!"

Minette and Tam swooped out of the seemingly empty sky, dropping to Ladorna's side. "We'll take care of her, Bootsie," the Halloween Ixi yelled. "Thought you might be in trouble soon as we saw those lights going the same way you were, so we ran to get Edna. That looks like some nasty dark magic, but she says it won't kill you. Now move it and go find your brother!"

With one frantic look back at Ladorna and Minette, I bolted in the direction of the cliffs.

_Voltare, don't give in! I'm coming!_


	8. Black Holes and Revelations

**In This Together:**

**Part Eight**

* * *

The violet lights grew thicker as I struggled down the path. My eyes shut, I kept moving. _Voltare was in trouble. _I had to save him.

Suddenly, as it began to become unbearable, the rushing sound around my ears dwindled to a faint swish, and I felt Rachel pull herself up to her full height again.

I looked around. The lights were flooding through a small gap in the cliff face. I tapped it with one paw, but it wasn't big enough for me to climb through, let alone an enormous Kougra like my brother. That meant there had to be another way in.

Scrabbling at the rock with my hooves, I found it. The narrow passage had been disguised with a dust-covered cloth, scattered with pebbles and leaves. Without hesitation, I ducked my head and crawled into the stone corridor.

Above my head, a hint of violet light was still flickering. Ahead, a much stronger glow lit the passage in front of me. This must be where the lights were landing. Minette had called them _dark magic, _but that sounded evil and sinister; it could have nothing to do with my brother, of course. Could it?

But I remembered the strange look in his eyes, and I wasn't so sure.

My train of thought was broken by another loud roar. The passage was opening up, becoming wider and taller, and I pulled myself to my hooves and started to run. Lights flashed past me as I bolted down the corridor.

Suddenly, the ground beneath my hooves came to an abrupt end. Skidding on the rough stone, I managed to avoid falling off the sheer ledge, swinging Rachel round with me to grab the cave wall. My satchel, not so fortunate, flew off in the opposite direction, dropping to the floor far below. I watched as the Buzz doll, my favourite toy, was flung from the falling bag and hit another overhanging ledge, looking lifeless and forlorn.

Rachel's squeak of surprise echoed, and I looked around at my new surroundings: an enormous cavern, bigger maybe than Meridell Castle's own hall. The room was filled with a purple glow, looking very like the lights which had stung me on my way. And at the centre of the room, two figures were standing.

One was human in appearance, if you didn't count the wings that shone behind her shoulders, as deep as the ocean and as bright as lamplight. A Faerie. The other was four-pawed and two-winged, standing before her in armour that gleamed in the magic's shine. His bare fangs and claws stood out from his shadowy appearance as he watched the Faerie, apparently unable to take his eyes off her. The purple lights centred on his chest, sinking deep into his fur.

The woman's voice echoed across the room. "That's right, little Kougra," she purred. "Remember it. Remember it all, and learn to be what you can become…"

I began to run again, pebbles skidding away from my hooves as I hurried down the sloping curve. Too late, I saw what looked like a cloud of glitter in my path, sparkling lazily in front of me. This time, my reflexes were not enough to save me from falling straight into it, Rachel clinging on in terror.

And…

_I'm standing in a field in the middle of Meridell. But this isn't the Meridell I know. There's devastation everywhere. Bullseye targets have been torn down, Illusen is nowhere to be seen, and a whole crowd of frightened Neopets are leaving their homes. How did I get here? Where is Fiona? What is going on?_

_"The spyders are coming," a worried-looking Aisha tells her friend. "Again. I don't know if we can stand another invasion so soon after the last."_

_"I'm taking my kids to Meridell Castle," nods a Korbat, his face lined with anxiousness. "It just isn't safe here."_

_Oddly, I can hear a voice coming from… from me. It seems to be my voice, though it doesn't sound like mine. "Let me help," it says— I say— earnestly. "I can carry some of your stuff to the castle."_

_What is stranger still is that the Korbat looks terrified. "Get away from me!" he shrieks, pulling three smaller Korbats behind the shelter of his wings. "Monster!"_

_I feel tears running down my face. Why, how, would anyone be so cruel to a Neopet who had simply offered them help? What have I done wrong?_

_Suddenly a dark-haired girl, stylish and elegant, appears on the scene, and I freeze. I know this girl. She created Voltare, and me too. What is she doing here?_

_"Off," she snaps simply. "There's not a single worthwhile shop left in this place. I thought I'd get some cut-price souvenirs, but everything's unsellable now."_

_She has Neopoints jangling in her pockets, enough for a hired Eyrie, or a hotel room. She could offer her help to these pets if the thought would only strike her for one single minute. It doesn't. Taking me by the collar, she pulls me after her, leaving the frightened pets and the ruined town behind her._

All at once, Meridell was gone. I was standing only a few steps from where the cloud had met me, looking down into the rocky depths. I gasped for breath. "Rachel? Rachel! What in Neopia happened there…?" As the little Miamouse climbed back onto my head, I saw a way down to the floor of the cavern. It was scattered with more shimmering smoke-clouds, but it was the only way for a Neopet without wings. I ran a short distance, staying out of sight of the Faerie and the Kougra. A new cloud formed itself in front of me, glittering innocently as I approached. Bracing myself, I dashed into it head-on.

_And I've run into the front room of my old house._

_It's far grander than Fiona's. In the living-room, a piano stands on the polished wooden floor, and a tall, antique globe takes pride of place on its elegant table. Everything here is beautiful, well-crafted, perfect. This house is a mansion, and it's my home—no, my house. This place was never a home to me._

_I hear an odd sound on the stairs. It's something familiar to me, yet strangely out of place. It's the sound of hoofbeats._

_A tiny Neopet enters the room. It is, she is, a little Ixi, hardly more than a baby. As she looks up at me with her dark eyes, I have an odd feeling of dizziness. This window into my old house has become a mirror._

_This Ixi is me, you see. Or rather, she was. This little girl is how I used to be._

_Then…?_

_I look down, for the first time, at myself, and see dark paws as soft as velvet, sharp claws kept carefully sheathed, rough unbrushed fur. I am not myself. This is not my memory._

_It's Voltare's._

_"I don't feel any better, Voltare," the little Novella whispers. "Sorry." She runs towards me, and I feel my forepaws lift from the ground as I hold her tight._

_"It's OK, Ellanova. No matter what she says, it's OK." I feel myself turn round to face the girl who stands watching, unmoved, in the doorway._

_"And don't you say anything," I snarl in Voltare's voice._

_"Is that Ixi hankering after medicine again?" There is more than a little disdain in the girl's tone. "Stupid pet can't even get better on her own. Give it up, you. This thing's been going on far too long. I need someone to work in the shop when he's away."_

_And again, I feel Voltare's burning anger. How can she act this way? What gives her the right to make a young Neopet, whose name she can't even remember, feel ashamed of being ill?_

_I want Fiona, badly. But here, Fiona isn't even a memory. She's a dream of something that hasn't happened yet. I turn away._

The Faerie's voice startled me out of my vision. "Concentrate, young Kougra," she stressed, leaning one hand on what had to be Voltare's head. "If you lose your concentration, all this will be wasted. Six years of spellwork, all gone to waste. We don't want that."

And Voltare, for some reason, nodded in agreement. This couldn't be my brother, who had faced down my old owner in full fury, backing down to a Dark Faerie. Surely not?

Running the last few steps of the slope, I stumbled into another cloud. Knowing there was no escape from the visions, I let this one capture me, leaving Rachel to her own thoughts and devices.

_This isn't my old home. I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm in Voltare's cosy bed, in Fiona's Meridell home. A glance through the chink in the curtains shows me only the peaceful landscape that I know._

_But something is wrong. I hear a scuffling noise in the hallway. Climbing out of bed, I pad out onto the landing, and see that the noise is coming from my own, Novella's, room. It won't hurt to look, I suppose._

_Inside is a scene of chaos. The blankets have been scattered across the room, the window stands open with the curtains flapping in a gale. And standing at the centre of the room is a Dark Faerie._

_In her hands she holds a small white Ixi, sound asleep._

_"So, the knight in Darigan stripes has decided to join us," she smirks. "Not before time. Were you rescuing Kadoaties from trees again?"_

_"Put her down!" It's as much my demand as Voltare's, though it comes out in his familiar voice._

_"Should I?" She flicks the Ixi's ear, obviously toying with me. "I don't think I should. Let me look at you." Hovering above the ground, the Faerie inspects me more closely. "Hmmm. I would like you, little Kougra, if it wasn't for that sickly personality of yours. You're sweeter than a chocolate-covered toffee, but you don't act on your feelings. No good at all." She tosses her hair lightly. "But that could change. You could be my pet, and be the strongest pet in the world. Then you'd never need to be afraid. You could do whatever you wanted…"_

_"No." Voltare's voice is firm and level. "You won't make another Vira Acara out of me."_

_"Vira? Oh, my dear." The Faerie chuckles. "The sister who tempted that pretty creature was an amateur at best. Do you know, Jhudora had me banished from Faerieland because she thought I was too powerful? And how right she was."_

_"That's as may be," Voltare interrupts through me. "Get out of my house and leave my sister be."_

_"Oh no, no." She giggles now, her laughter as cold as ice. "Not when there's so many wonderful things I could do to her. And you—" she reaches out a finger and casts a spell, freezing me in place before I can leap at her—"are going to see everything. Now, should I start by turning her into a Mortog, do you think? I hear they can be quite fun to kiss."_

_"What do you want?" Voltare snarls. He is furious now, angry as I've never seen him. I feel it in his memory. "Did you come here just to hurt my sister?"_

_"I didn't come here to hurt your sister at all," she responds. "I wouldn't lay a single finger on her precious Ixi fur… if you were my pet."_

_"Your pet?" Voltare spits out the words. "Working for you?"_

_"Yes." She smiles sweetly. "And I promise I wouldn't hurt her. Or perhaps you'd prefer a brief demonstration of my magic before you make up your mind? I have lots of very interesting spells to try out. And if one of them happens to make your sister disappear, there's always that human girl with the red hair to experiment on."_

_"Enough!" My brother's voice is almost a roar. "I'll do it. Whatever you want me to, I'll do it."_

_"Say, I want to be your pet, Mhairia." Now her smile is a smirk of evil. "Say it, and I promise, she won't be hurt."_

_The tiny part of me that is still Novella, watching from the spell-cavern, shudders with a sudden cold feeling of fear. Because I know, now._

_"I want to be your pet, Mhairia." Every word is like a curse. "Now PUT HER DOWN!"_

_In a whirl of wind, the Faerie is gone, with no trace of her presence. The window is tightly shut, and the blankets are neatly heaped on the bed, covering the sleeping form of a White Ixi. Her name is… her name is…what is her name? I don't know. I don't know who the human is in this house, either. This place is called Meridell, that I remember. And my mistress's name is Mhairia, and I must serve her…_

"Voltare!"

The word escaped from my mouth like a sob. The next moment, I glanced fearfully down into the cavern, but no-one had heard.

This was the solution to the mystery. This was the key to the puzzle. _I_ was the key.

The words of the Defenders came back to me. _No Dark Faerie can take control of a Neopet without that pet's willing consent. _But I had assumed that all such possessions were born of greed and selfishness, not from the beauty of a perfect heart. Voltare had become a vicious, ruthless criminal… because he couldn't stand to see a Neopet being hurt for his sake. He had done it for me.

I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. Not yet. I had to do something to make this right, before anything else.

Now the Dark Faerie was stroking the armour she had placed on Voltare's body. "The spell is almost complete, my darling," she crooned. "Soon you'll be the most powerful pet in Neopia. Let those memories fill your mind. Don't run from them. Let the anger flow through your body, and learn the art of destruction."

A Barbat flew into the cavern, seeking shelter from the dark magic that was still flowing outside. Quick as a flash, Mhairia froze the Petpet with a spell before Voltare could see it. "You dare distract him," she growled. "Once I have this Kougra, the whole of Neopia will kneel before me. Or be destroyed."

I hesitated, close to the pair but still hidden from sight. My mind was tangled up with thoughts, almost unable to reason. Still, one echo of what the Dark Faerie had said flashed through my mind, glowing in brilliant colours.

_If Voltare was distracted, the spell would break._

The whole of Neopia, she'd said, would fear my brother's power when the spell was done. I had seen what Mhairia's instructions would do, and I knew she would not stop at hurting other Neopets. Something Voltare would never have wanted.

_It would take someone as brave as they were stupid to distract a lethal, brainwashed Darigan Kougra who was in the process of receiving the power boost of his life._

Even if I did manage to divert him from the spell, I knew, neither of us would get out of this place. Once her charm was broken, _she_ would destroy him on the spot. I had travelled across Neopia to save my brother, and instead I would be the cause of his loss.

But this was no ordinary Kougra. This was my Voltare, and the whole of Neopia was on the brink of being in his terror. Because of _me_.

Save my brother, run for my life, watch as he destroyed Neopia?

Or save Neopia, and lose everything?

Somewhere behind those flaming eyes and that spiked armour was the heart of a Kougra who wouldn't have hesitated for a moment over that question.

I stepped over the trails of magic, into the shadows behind my brother.

_G'bye Fiona, Minette, Ladorna, Ricky. Thanks for everything. It's been an adventure._

Taking a deep breath, I ran forward, putting everything I'd got into the single word.

"VOLTARE!"


	9. Love Will Come Through

**In This Together:**

**Part Nine**

"_Voltare!_"

The echo of my scream carried across the cavern. Startled, Mhairia looked over to see what had happened. But another pair of eyes, dark and puzzled, were fixed on me now. My brother seemed locked in a struggle to speak, to recognise my face, as he stared at me.

"…Ella…nova…?"

The next minute his eyes were back on the Dark Faerie. But the fragments of magic were rushing away from him with the speed of a waterfall, shooting up through the cavern and out of sight. The light of flame faded from Voltare's eyes as he stood before Mhairia.

The spell was broken. Though my brother was still her pet, he would never be the force of devastation she had wanted.

I had won.

And now, I would lose everything.

"_What?"_ Mhairia stared at the two of us. "What… who could have broken my charm? Who dares shatter my life's masterpiece?" She turned and caught sight of me as I clung to Rachel at the centre of the room. "A little Ixi? _How could you?_"

"Don't you recognise me?" I snarled at her. I was oddly light-headed, strangely fearless now. There was nothing that could make my situation any worse, so I had no reason to be afraid any more.

"I don't," she snapped. "How should I recognise some silly little pet who doesn't even have magical talent? A pet who I can tell never sought power? In my world, you would have been the lowest of servants to the true Neopians of magic." She glared at me. "You will pay for this with your life, young one, and this foolish demon you tried to save—he will join you in the next world. I have no use for him now." Turning to Voltare, she raised one hand. "Kougra. Kill this silly child."

I had not even considered that she would give that command, or that it would be obeyed. I would have been prepared to face my last moments at any hands or paws but his. But Voltare tensed himself, preparing to attack.

Suddenly, as if she sensed what was wrong, Rachel dived in front of my brother, squealing at the top of her voice. Confused, he stepped backwards, batting at the Miamouse as if he couldn't see where she was.

"Idiot demon!" Mhairia screamed. "I'll destroy her myself!"

Gathering a burst of dark magic between her hands, she raised both arms to cast the spell against me. I barely had time to drop to the floor before the magic screeched overhead, scorching my ears and tail. They stung with pain, bringing tears to my eyes. I knew the next blast would not miss.

And from somewhere in front of me, I heard a deep growl.

Voltare, his armour smouldering to nothing, stepped forward, covering me with his wings. "Mhairia," he said in a flat tone. "Touch her and you will pay for it."

"Kougra!" The Faerie was hysterical. "Attack her! It is my order! _You cannot break my contract!_"

"_You _broke our contract," Voltare whispered. His voice was soft, but there was cold fury in his eyes. "You promised you would not let my sister come to harm. That is the bargain we made."

"But—" Mhairia looked around wildly. The magic was still draining from the cavern, and now it was not the power that had held Voltare in his charm. The Dark Faerie's wings were fading to a dull grey even as she spoke.

"She tried to do too much with her own magic," Voltare said gently, as if he could read my thoughts. "A massive enchantment of power and evil. If the spell had completed, the energy she put into it would not have mattered, but the charm was broken just in time. Mhairia, if you have any spells left in action, you must cancel them now if you do not wish to become a shadow of what you are. As you would say, a Grey Faerie."

For a moment, the Faerie's face was stricken. Then, tossing back her long, dark hair, she began to laugh wildly. "All right," she shrieked. "I will cancel the spells that I cast. _All _of them. Then you'll see what your actions have caused."

Whispering the words of a cancellation spell, she waved her hands in a kind of eerie triumph.

Above my head, something creaked. A pebble fell at my hooves, then another. More rocks clattered down around the two of us.

"It was a shelter-spell," Mhairia cackled. "The only thing holding this cavern together. You'll never make it out of here alive."

Waving her hands again in what she clearly intended to be a magic gesture, she gazed up at the cavern ceiling. Suddenly, her expression turned to panic. "It… Why won't it work? Why can't I leave?"

"I tried to tell you," Voltare replied, his calmness hiding the anger I knew he was feeling. "You used up your own magic enslaving me. You can't cast another spell, not now, at least. You're a prisoner here, Mhairia, just like us."

Mhairia's screams rang in my ears as I turned away. Running to the cavern wall with Rachel clinging to my shoulder, I found what I'd hoped would be there. The falling rocks had opened a crack in the wall. Perhaps Voltare could dig a way through with his paws. "Voltare! Up here!" I screamed. "C'mon!"

"Wait." My brother bounded over to the heap of magical items that Mhairia had gathered for her spells. Pulling the cork from a bottle, he poured out the potion and held up the empty flask. "You. Get in, if you want to live."

With one last anguished glance, Mhairia vanished into a flash of purple light. Voltare slammed the cork into the bottle and followed me. His enormous paws scattered the rocks, and daylight flooded into the collapsing cavern.

"Come on, Ellanova." As he lifted me to safety, the cliff face turned to a heap of rubble, destroyed as if it had never been. Rachel hung on for dear life, carrying some small object in her paws. Looking more closely, I saw a Buzz Doll, battered and torn, but in one piece.

Suddenly the two of us were in each other's arms, holding on as if we would never let go.

"Ellanova, where are we?" he whispered, looking down at me in confused sadness. "How did we get here?"

"It's the Haunted Forest. Mhairia brought you," I told him. "And me? Let's say I've had quite an adventure."

"Little Ellanova," he smiled. "Did you really come all this way?"

"Don't call me little," I laughed, wiping away my tears. "I'm the famous Bootsie now, or didn't you know?"

"Famous Bootsie?" he repeated, stroking my fur.

"Oh yes. The famous Bootsie, adventurer extraordinaire. Rescuer of lost siblings, escapee from the Neopian security forces, cosmopolitan traveller, survivor of a Werelupe attack, She who defies Dark Faeries…" I offered him a weak smile.

"You _have _grown up since I saw you."

His paws were so gentle, his voice so familiar. I felt my old sense of safety flowing back as my instinct told me that my brother was here, the Neopet who would always protect me, be by my side no matter what.

Yet something had changed. I could feel hesitation in his touch, hear uncertainty in his voice. He was no longer the same infallible Neopet that I had always known.

"Ellanova. What are we going to do with Mhairia?" was his first question. I considered.

"The Defenders of Neopia can talk to her," I decided. "After all, she's responsible for all the stuff they were chasing _you_ for. Then we'll go back to Meridell and try to patch things up with Fi. She's probably upset that we've been gone so long."

"Fiona…" His expression was troubled. "She threw me out, didn't she?" I nodded. "Do you think she'll take me back? After all of this?"

"She's got to." I looked up at him with the glare I'd used to face down Mhairia. "If she wants me back, she's going to have to take you too. That's all there is to it." Voltare looked more worried than before. I stroked his enormous paw with my hoof. "Don't worry. You know how Fiona is. She'll probably throw a party as soon as she sees you coming."

I led him down the path that he'd cut in the undergrowth, back towards the familiar silhouette of Edna's tower. Somewhere nearby was Minette's house, and a mug of tea for my shaken brother.

"Ellanova." He gazed into the distance. "Aren't the Defenders still after me? How do we get back without them catching us?" Absently, he polished Mhairia's bottle with one paw. "And what if the spell isn't completely gone? Supposing I attack someone else?"

Now I knew what was different.

Voltare, so fearless when protecting me from everything there was out there, was afraid of himself, and the things he had done.

"Voltare," I began, haltingly. "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it."

As the lights of the Deserted Fairground came into sight, I felt stronger. Without knowing where the words were coming from, I continued.

"You don't need to be afraid, Voltare. You've still got me, right?"

He nodded, almost imperceptibly. I held onto his paw, wanting him to know I wouldn't let go.

"You've got me. And whatever happens, we're in this together."

"In this together," he repeated in a murmur.

"Bootsie! Hey, Bootsie!" The voice drifted down the path towards us. "That'd be your brother? You did find him!"

Ladorna ran towards us, her arms spread wide. As we approached, she swept me up in a hug. "Bootsie, love, you found him! Will you be wanting some tea? Are you both all right?"

Before I could speak, Voltare answered for me.

"Yes," he said softly, looking at me proudly. "We'll be all right, Ellanova and me."

I nodded, echoing his words, returning his smile.

"We'll be all right."

And I knew we would.


End file.
